Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Shoes as Investments Pieces?

I must admit that whenever I hear about a 20 year-old spending $300 on a pair of shoes, I'm often filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I want to commend them for not wasting their money on the latest video game console but on the the other hand, (in today's economic climate) it hard to justify spending that much on a pair of shoes when you can get a pretty decent pair for half the price. But after closer inspection and introspection of my own youth, I realize that I did the exact same thing when I was their age.

Case in point: I totally forgot I had these shoes until the ROTM crew relased their Scotch Grain Double Monks a few weeks ago. Realizing that I had something similar in my closet, which I haven't worn in almost 10 years, I found these shoes laying in their box still in great condition. The sophisticated hardware and leather mixed with the rugged rubber soles gave these shoes a "Beauty and the Beast" quaility that appealed to me then as it still does today. And when I tried them on, they still fit like a glove. I happily wore them all week while secretly thanking my 20 year-old self for not blowing the money on the latest gadget of the day.

Overall, I spent a lot of money over the years on suits, sweaters, and shirts that many would label as "investment pieces," but today, none of them fit properly. In fact, unlike any other "investment piece" in my closet, the shoes are the only ones that held "value" because they are the only ones that fit no matter what the scale reads.

7 comments:

Wow - nice (closet) find. I do agree that one should understand the value proposition when making any purchase - especially shoes. Can they be repaired/resoled? Are they a classic design that won't be antiquated in three years? I think you've hit the jackpot with those Bits...

Very nice, though I can't help thinking about the technological gadgets that were available at the same time you bought the shoes. I mean, by buying these shoes you passed up a sweet pager that you could now be passing down to your kids.

Your 20 year old self was smart buying these bra. Classic and timeless. I really don't think much else than a couple of pairs of quality footwear, a good bag, sports coat and maybe a watch or two if you can is worth the money. The rest can be ebayed or at least thrifted.

I am so with you on this one! I am 20 something atm, and I hate wasting money on trendy clothes. And even though I get mixed emotions when I spend more that I should on a pair of shoes. I never regret it :)